Supporting unit



W. J. WRIGHT SUPPORTING UNIT Oct. 10, 1939.

Filed April 25, 1938 INVENTUH NILLIETJMHIEHT HTT Patented Oct. 10, 1939UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 3 Claims.

This invention relates to a supporting unit for general utility purposesin such places as camps, picnic grounds, outdoor parties and amusementcenters, but is also useful in indoor places and particularly housetrailers where hangers and such things should be fixed so that they willnot move while traveling.

The unit is designed for easy attachment to posts, trees, ledges, etc.,and can be easily removed whenever desirable with a minimum of damage tothe surface where attached. In one form of the invention, no screws ornails are required for fixing the unit temporarily in place so that itcan be used over the trim or moulding about doors and windows.

The unit is provided with a hanger rod which is removably supportedthereto in a substantial horizontal position and is preferably providedwith a hook at the end thereof to prevent articles placed thereon fromsliding off. It has been found that the hook provides a very convenientplace onto which to hang a kerosene lamp or lantern. Hangers for suchlanterns in trailer camps and the like are not common and the use of theunit herein disclosed would be very useful.

The rod has a rather heavy angled end so that it can be used as a hammerin order to temporarily fix the bracket to a tree, fence post or thelike. Means are provided upon the unit for emovably holding the rod incondensed form when it is not in use in order to make it convenient totransport the unit from place to place along with other small items.

An object of this invention is to provide a compact hanger unit which isadapted to be affixed to an upright support with a minimum of effort.

Another object is to provide a hanger unit that can be knocked downafter use and the parts joined together into a small convenient package.

Another object is to present a collapsible hanger unit that can betemporarily affixed to an upright without the use of tools.

Other objects, advantages and features of my invention will appear fromthe accompanying drawing, the subjoined detailed description, thepreamble of the specification and the appended claims.

In the drawing:

Fig. 1 shows a front elevation of the unit with the swivel rod in place,a part of the unit being broken away for the sake of clarity.

Fig. 2 shows a side elevation of the unit.

Fig. 3 shows a modified form of one end of the unit.

Applicant has illustrated and described one or more forms of hisinvention in order to teach one how to make, use and vend the same, butit is to be understood that the drawing and description thereof are notto limit the invention 5 in any sense whatsoever, except as limited bythe appended claims.

The numeral I represents an elongated platelike base rounded at itsends. The upper end thereof having a bayonet slot 2 to receive a nail 10or screw or any other suitable means for afiixing the base to a tree,post or the like. And at the other end a hole 3 through which may beplaced or driven a peg or nail to hold the bottom of the base. Near thetop of the base plate is 1 a socket 4 having flanges 5 and 6 which areaffixed to the base plate in any suitable manner such as by soldering orwelding.

The socket includes a bellied portion 1 configurated and adapted toreceive the spindle 8 of a hanger rod designated by 9. The bottom of thesocket is closed by wall l0 which may be soldered or welded thereto forthe purposes of keeping dirt and moisture from the interior of thesocket.

A relatively heavy bent portion I I of the hanger rod joins the spindle8 with the main elongated rod portion I2. The portion l I is madeheavier than the rest of the rod so that it can be used 30 as a hammerfor driving nails or pegs for supporting the unit. This portion is alsomade larger so that it can close the upper portion of the bellied part Iand thus prevent water and dirt from getting into the socket. The otherend of the 35 rod is provided with a hook l3 to receive the bail orhandle of a bucket, lantern or the like.

The lower end of the spindle 8 is flattened to form a screw driver end8' so that screws can be used for anchoring the hanger base to anupright surface, should such be desired. This end may also be used topry the unit from the surface to which it is attached.

Whenever the unit is being moved to a new location, it is desirable toprovide means for 45 keeping the rod and base together and in order toaccomplish this, a portion of the base is provided with clips 14 and I5.These clips have a base portion 16 which is soldered, welded, orotherwise affixed to the base I and leading from 50 the element I6 is abent spring like portion I! having a turned up edge l8 to facilitate theentrance of the rod beneath the clip. The clips are preferably placed asshown in the drawing so that the rod can be twisted and thus forcedbeneath the clips so as to be firmly held thereby until the unit isagain erected for use.

Upon the back of the base of the unit are provided push pins, spikes orthe like [9 and 20 which may be formed with the base and thus be anintegral part thereof or may be threadedly attached to the base orwelded thereto. Whenever it is desired to affix the unit to an upright,for instance, a tree or fence post, the base need, only be placed to thetree or post, the rod 9 removed by holding the hook portion I3 in thehand, and by using the end portion II as a hammer, the spikes l9 and 20may then be driven into the tree or post. The hanger spindle 8 may thenbe placed in the socket l and the unit is in condition for use.

Fig. 3 illustrates a modified top portion of a base plate 2| having theend thereof bent to form a leg 22 and a beveled leg 23. This form of theinvention is designed to support the hanger unit from moulding, door orwindow trim. The beveled end 23 need merely be tapped downwardly behindthe trim or moulding, or any kind of veneering.

Having thus described my invention, what is claimed as new and desiredto be secured by Letters Patent is:

1. In a hanger unit having a base plate, socket means at one end of theplate for receiving a portion of an arm, fastening means toward theother end of the plate for holding an arm, said fastening meansincluding spaced apart resilient elements having openings, spikes fixedto the back of the plate and arranged to be driven into erect objects.

2. In a rod supporting unit comprising an elongated flat plate havingfront and rear sides, spikes fixed to the rear side of the plate adaptedto be driven into a vertical support, a socket near one end of the plateand fixed thereto to receive an end of the rod, a plurality of springclips having an end thereof fixed to the front of the plate, and spacedapart a substantial distance so as to grip said rod near its ends, saidclips having an opening near one of their ends and arranged so that theopening of each clip is directed toward opposite side edges of theplate.

3. In a hanger unit having an elongated base plate, means at one end ofthe plate for removably supporting an arm in horizontal position, andmeans upon the plate for removably supporting an arm in verticalposition, the second recited means comprising spaced apart clips havingopenings faced in opposite directions so that an arm placed therein mustbe rotated to be removed.

WILLIE J. WRIGHT.

